


City of Fate

by navaan



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Dick Grayson is Robin, Family, Future Fic, Gen, major off screen character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 18:38:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3906583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gotham is the city that made their family. And for their son it will be the city that changes everything and sets him on his path.</p>
            </blockquote>





	City of Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Little reaction/future!fic for _Gotham_ episode _The Blind Fortune Teller“_. Written for 's [2015 DCU Fic/Art Dick Grayson Diamond Anniversary Challenge](http://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/1127639.html).
> 
> You can also read and comment on Livejournal [here](http://navaan.livejournal.com/196527.html).

The fact that murder once came to the Haley's Circus in Gotham City was one of the stories that the kids shouldn't even know about, but they all had heard about it anyway of course. It just was one of the scary and grotesque stories that was too good not to be told and so it came up quite frequently in whispers and was hinted at in conversations, even when the kids were around. And so the story of what had happened in Gotham grew.

“What's wrong with Gotham City?” he asked his mother, when they were getting ready for training.

They had been to Gotham only once or twice that Dick could remember, but even then the only thing that stood out to him about this city was the sense of nervous energy, a sense of uneasiness, that seemed to infect all the adults long before they ever reached the city.

His mother was helping him into his costume and lecturing him on the routine they would be trying today. He was still small and his parents had taken him to the trapeze as soon as he'd been able to hold on, but he knew that he needed to listen to them at all times, that someone could get hurt if he didn't. But the question had been bothering him since Timmy had whispered about the bad things that might happen in Gotham City this morning.

“It's not a nice place,” his mother admitted, pulling the fabric straight. “Not a beautiful city either.” She kissed the top of his head and hugged him to her chest and he hugged back immediately. “But there's no need to be afraid. It's a special place.”

She smiled brightly over at his father, who smiled back at both of them softly. “It's where your mother and I finally decided to get married,” he explained.

“It is?” Dick asked, wide eyed and excited. He knew this was big and important, although he had no idea why. It was just one of these mum and dad things.

“Yes, my little robin,” his mum whispered and hugged him even closer. “We were in love, but things weren't always that clear. Our families weren't exactly helpful. But Gotham was were things finally became clear to us. That we wanted to be a family. A real family.”

“Oh,” he said, because he only occasionally heard about the times when things had been complicated. His parent's relatives rarely got along. In fact they were often at each other’s throats and although his parents were trying to shield him from it, Dick was a smart little boy who just knew these things. He'd heard things he wasn’t supposed to hear, noticed when his father’s voice got a warning note when his older brother said things he wasn’t supposed to say, or when his mother’s uncle was around and she took Dick by the hand and led him out when voices were rising. “But it’s okay now?” he asked, nervous that somehow whatever his parent were implying was still hanging over all their heads, might tear them apart.

His father picked him up and stemmed him up to hold him over his head and Dick giggled, looking down at his dad, spreading his arms and enjoying the rush of the moment. “Of course, it’s okay now, champ,” he was told. “We’re a family and we love each other. That’s what counts. Nothing else matters.”

Dick grabbed his neck to hug him and both his parents laughed.

“Gotham is where our family really started,” his mum said and ruffled his head. “So never be afraid of Gotham.”

* * *

Gotham was where their family started.

Gotham was also where it ended, painfully and sudden.

But life did go on.

And for Dick Grayson a new one began.

* * *

He was standing in the darkness at the top of a building. This was no circus, no place for an acrobat to show his skill. This was Gotham City and whatever his parents had told him, he knew the city was never to be taken lightly. But he wasn't afraid, never afraid.

Beneath him in the street a family was just overcoming the shock of what had happened. The little daughter was crying, but the mother was already hugging her husband and they were holding on the the kids and relief was written all over their faces.

“Thank you,” the woman whispered into the night and Dick grinned. He'd stopped the thugs all on his own and no innocents got hurt.

A hand came down on his head and he startled. He still couldn't put his head around the fact that Bruce could move silently like a cat in the night, wearing all that stiff, protective material. “Point taken,” he said under his breath and patted Dick's head affectionately. “You did well.” 

Together they watched the family talk to the police. There was no need to talk. He didn't hold on to Bruce like the little boy and girl down there did with their mother and father, but he huddled a little closer, watching these lucky little kids go home with their parents. “Alfred will give you an earful for taking the costume and running off on your own,” Bruce mumbled in the dark voice that he'd used when he had first spoken to Dick, wearing his Batman costume and trying to find the person who had caused the death of the Flying Graysons. 

“He won't,” Dick said and grinned. Alfred was never cross with him.

“Right,” Bruce agreed. “I'll be the one getting the earful for letting it happen in the first place.”

Dick smiled and shrugged and even Batman cracked a little smile. 

“Let's go home,” Dick whispered as the street below finally grew silent again.

Batman didn't protests, patting his head again.

He still missed the circus. He missed his parents even more. Some days the pain was so bad that he didn't want to smile at all. But Bruce and Alfred understood all that better than any other adult that had talked to him about his parent's murder ever could and slowly 

it was like his mother had said: Gotham wasn't a a nice place. Not a beautiful city. But a special place.

And now it was also home.


End file.
